


retrograde

by ang_gray_smol



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Language of Flowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ang_gray_smol/pseuds/ang_gray_smol
Summary: Ryoji likes old-fashioned romance things. Minato thinks about it.written as a gift for @vizodi for the Persona Secret Santa event!





	retrograde

**Author's Note:**

> **belated merry christmas here's some fluffers**
> 
>  
> 
> [original post](http://almightytrashcan.tumblr.com/post/168906201778/persona-secret-santa-2017)

Ryoji says he’s a sucker for old-fashioned romance things. He teases Minato about leaving a love letter in his shoe locker, or asking him to the rooftop to confess his undying love for him. Minato doesn’t say anything about those things, but well, he looks like he gives them thought.

(Minato also reminds Ryoji sensibly that on most occasions, the rooftop is closed.)

A few girls have poured their hearts into ink-stained papers, or a few more dedicated ones left them in bento boxes, all for Ryoji to take his time to look in their direction. Ryoji appreciates all of them, but somehow couldn’t help himself from thinking that something’s missing.

(Then again, whenever Minato gives time to walk around Paulownia Mall with Ryoji, to try again at that crane game he’s so hell bent on to win, or pass by the music shop because his playlist is getting boring, Ryoji feels his heart swell with an emotion he can’t put a label on just yet. It fills his lungs to the brim with a kind of sweetness threatening to consume him whole. He can’t say he likes it without saying he’s a masochist.)

“What other old-fashioned things do you like, anyway?” Minato asked once, when Ryoji invited himself to his room on Junpei’s behest. Ryoji looked up from the bed, and with a quick analysis on the room, settled for the tiny succulent and the vase of peonies on Minato’s desk.

“Flowers are nice.”

Minato hummed. “Flower language?” He’s never really been the type to phrase his sentences properly, but Ryoji gets it anyway. He always does.

“Quite.”

Minato hasn’t said anything about it after that. Ryoji can only assume that he’s giving it thought, like what he always does.

(Somehow, the thought of receiving flowers from Minato is…endearing. That small boy with dark blue hair and constantly dead eyes, blushing deeply and holding stems of bluebells, forget-me-nots, and probably zinnias too, all tied together with a thin red ribbon just for him…A rather satisfying fantasy.)

Ryoji then kept on receiving more old-fashioned things. More love letters, more homemade food, more confessions on the rooftop. Ryoji continues to appreciate them every time. And every time, though, he feels like he’s expecting something else.

His mind helpfully supplies ‘flowers from Minato’.

* * *

Christmas was nearing, and snow was falling gently. Ryoji loitered around Iwatodai Station, not particularly bothered by passersby giving him suspicious looks. He’s always been given the stink eye by everyone though, particularly because his yellow scarf is obnoxious and he wears it even if it wasn’t even cold out.

It was getting late in the evening. Stores were closing up, and signboards advertising new food items and cheap discounts were put away, but the Christmas decorations still lingered around outside. It must be close to the Dark Hour.

Ryoji sighed. The world was so peaceful and beautiful, it pained him to see it all go to waste soon.

(What could he do really? He can’t revoke death. It’s part of a natural process of the universe. If you blow it up to bigger proportions you’re basically going up against the world. Then again, Ryoji’s already got multiple burdens on his shoulders already.)

His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Minato.

_> Meet me in front of the dorm._

Ryoji’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. How was he able to dodge Aigis and send this to him?

(As far as he knows, Minato’s phone is under tight surveillance by Aigis. Considering who he really is, though, it’s not surprising.)

_> Sure. I’ll be there._

* * *

“You called?” Ryoji had on his award-winning smile, but there was no real emotion behind it anymore. It was just a pretty accessory he puts on for display to impress everyone.

Minato had his same stoic face on, but even with only streetlights on, Ryoji could see that his ears were pink (due to the weather?). He seemed to be hiding something behind his back. He was wearing his usual blue trench coat, making him seem smaller (and cuter, what the hell) than he already is.

“You like old-fashioned things, right?”

Ryoji cocked his head. When did he say that?

“You kept saying that when you moved to the school, remember? Or does being death incarnate come with catastrophic side-effects?”

Ryoji chuckled. Right, he did say something like that before. Now that he thinks about it, it’s cheesy as hell, but considering that he’s lived for quite longer than most, it’s probably the sentimental value that comes along with it that makes old-fashioned things more desirable.

“Hmm…it  _is_  rather tough to remember things when you’ve been present in the world since the beginning. Sorry about that.” He rubbed the back of his head. Minato must’ve prepared something big and he just kind of ruined it by forgetting.

“No, it’s—it’s fine.” Oh? Minato rarely stuttered.

“So? What is it?”

“Flowers.”

“Flowers?”

Minato suddenly thrust out something long, green, and rather fragrant. It was a bouquet of amaryllis, wrapped in clear plastic and tied with white ribbon.

“Amaryllis is a Christmas flower,” Minato explained, “and, well, Christmas is a time for gift giving, so…so here.” Minato looked away, a deep red spreading across his cheeks.

Ryoji felt his heart jump at the gesture, and his face heat up in response. He literally can’t remember the time when he said something like that, but the fact that Minato still remembered something small like that…

“T-Thanks.”

Ryoji observed the bouquet. The flowers were still pretty fresh, and they smelled rather elegant. He arranged a few of the petals when something round caught his eye.

It was a red camellia, sitting amongst the taller green stems, easily camouflaged by the rest of the amaryllis.

“Flower language,” Minato mumbled. “I tried making your gift a bit fun, being an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent being, after all.”

“I’m rather humbled, and impressed by your research. All right, amaryllis symbolizes shyness in Japanese symbolism, in contrast to Western interpretations, while a red camellia symbolizes…”

Ryoji froze. He looked up at Minato, a smile threatening to surface. Minato was looking at everything but Ryoji, his blush redder than the flowers in Ryoji’s hands.

“You’re such a sly fox, you know.”

“Stop staring!”

“I like you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> quick guide to hanakotoba (japanese flower language): 
> 
> peony - bravery  
> bluebell - gratefull  
> forget-me-not - true love  
> zinnia - loyalty  
> amaryllis - shy  
> red camellia - in love


End file.
